Congregation Ohav Sholom |
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The Israel Experience |
By MICHAEL ROSENBLOOM |
IntroductionAs the number of places I can write about in Israel dwindles due to time away and the limited amount of sites we're able to see on our periodic visits, I still find myself wanting to write about the place I called home for ten years. Although there are many sites I've visited and hikes I've taken (never written about in "Off the Beaten Track"), these took place more than fifteen years ago. More than likely, my comments would no longer be current. Besides, Israel today is a vibrant society with tangible energy in the air at every turn. It's much more than nature hikes and archaeological sites. A short stroll through Tel Aviv or Jerusalem bears this out. Israel is a country where several million people of different backgrounds rub elbows daily and eke out a living. I guess I'm still coming to grips with what it meant for me to have made Israel my home for ten of its first fifty years of existence, as a reborn nation. Apparently, Israel can possess this power over you. And so, perhaps as a form of catharsis, I will be writing about my experiences in Israel as an immigrant, citizen, soldier, athlete, resident, teacher and student. Other members of the congregation are invited to contribute articles about their own experiences living in Israel. The articles may prove to be no more than personal vignettes or may even provide insights into Israeli society in general, though I don't claim to be so presumptuous. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The series of articles will appear in a column called: The Israel Experience. Michael Rosenbloom (spidermr@aol.com) |
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